May the 4th be with you: 5 stories to celebrate Star Wars Day – UPI News

May 29, 2023 ndowd

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May 4 (UPI) — Star Wars Day — aka May the 4th — has once again arrived in our galaxy, but dedicated franchise fans celebrate Star Wars all year long.
The holiday, celebrated each year on May 4, began as a riff on the franchise’s catchphrase, “May the Force be with you,” but there is some disagreement about who was the first to utter the phrase “May the 4th be with you.”

Regardless of the holiday’s specific origins, its become a day to celebrate what makes Star Wars special, and in that spirit here’s a look at some of the weird and wonderful ways that the galaxy far, far away has invaded the real world.
California bakery’s ‘Pan Solo’
Catherine Pervan and daughter Hannalee Pervan, the owners of One House Bakery in Benicia, Calif., went viral in October when they created a bread sculpture of Han Solo frozen in carbonite for a local scarecrow contest.

The tribute to Harrison Ford‘s character from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, dubbed “Pan Solo,” ended up taking second place in the contest.

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A post shared by One House Bakery (@onehousebakery)

A post shared by One House Bakery (@onehousebakery)
World’s first retractable lightsaber
Alex Burkan, who runs the Alex Lab channel on YouTube, was inspired by the Jedi’s signature weapon to build a lightsaber with a plasma blade that measures more than 3 feet in length and burns at a temperature of 5,072 degrees — hot enough to cut through steel.
Burkan’s invention earned him a Guinness World Records title for building the world’s first retractable lightsaber.

‘Darth Vader’ wins the lottery
A Jamaican man who won a $655,911.64 jackpot from lottery operator Supreme Ventures concealed his identity by wearing a Darth Vader costume while collecting his prize.
The man, identified only as W. Brown, told Supreme Ventures officials he donned the Sith Lord disguise because he wanted to keep his good luck under wraps for the time being.
Bulletproof Stormtrooper
Nils Rasmusson of Saratoga Springs, Utah, used a 3D printer to create a screen-accurate Stormtrooper costume with one significant improvement — it’s bulletproof.
Rasmusson’s YouTube video documenting the creation of his costume explains he wanted to improve upon the famously poor protective features of the Galactic Empire’s enforcement armor and he was inspired by a friend who works for a company that makes bulletproof components for cars.

Han Solo’s $1,057,500 blaster
Illinois-based Rock Island Auctions announced Han Solo’s blaster, one of three BlasTech DL-44 Heavy Blasters wielded by actor Harrison Ford during the filming of 1977’s Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, sold for the astronomical sum of $1,057,500 at an auction earlier this year.
Guinness World Records confirmed the sum earned the blaster the distinction of being the most expensive prop gun ever sold at auction.